Summary: Growing up, you're always told never to date someone who is going to be big and famous one day. You'll have to live a life of being stalked by the paparazzi, having your life constantly on paper, and having to attend so many ceremonies and events that every single one will seem the same after not too long. After being transferred to another school against her own will, Kairi finds stress piling upon stress after shortly. Trying to maintain grades, keep and make new friends as well as old, dealing with home and family problems, it cannot be any better for her when she finds herself possibly falling for the last person she ever wanted to be with. Supposedly stuck up, selfish, self absorbed, and a total hypocrite., who at the same time is on his definite way to fame from his acting abilities, Kairi finds herself confused and desperate to know why out of all the guys, why she might be falling for this one. On top of that, when jealousy sparks, friends reveal life changing secrets, and she finds herself at a fork in the road, how and what exactly what will she do? And if so, will she have to make a life changing decision that could affect her and stick with her forever?

Pairing: Sora & Kairi, Future Selphie & Tidus, Possible Riku & to be decided.

Genre: Romance, & a teaspoon of angst&drama&comedy.

Tohrue's Note: Ah ha ha. My third story. As I write my author's note right now, I'm watching IGPX; listening for Sora's voice. Incase you aren't as obsessed with Sora as I am, Haley Joel Osment is a voice actor on this show. So if your curious about hearing how Sora will sound in Kingdom Hearts II, you should watch this show sometime for a preview. .. Even if the show is aimed for eight year olds. XD

Anyways, this isn't a high school fiction like the other two I've been currently doing. It's more of an alternate universe one, but I really didn't care. I loved the plot I came up with, so naturally, I had to write it.

The Dumbing Down of Love
Chapter One
So This Is What They Call A Wreck

Well painted passion, you rightly suspect ..

"Mom, I can't do this."

"Yes, you can!"

"Mom, please Can't we for me to start school here AFTER Christmas break?"

"No, Kairi! That way, if you have a hard time here, you have break to calm down."

"But mom!"

Kairi abruptly stopped in the middle of her path as her she found her mother suddenly in front of her, bending down slightly to fix the buttons on her white blouse. As her mother fixed her outfit, she noticed a couple of boys walking by who happened to be staring at the older woman's lower back side. Rolling her eyes, Kairi had been about ready to yell something around the lines of "Take a picture, why don't you!" Of course, she couldn't help the fact that many men were attracted to her mother. She was beautiful, to be quiet honest. With long cinnamon colored hair, a young looking face, and a slim figure at 5'8, it was no wonder. Many people had told her that she had inherited her mother's looks, but she never saw guys looking at her behind or coming up and asking for her number.

"There. It's fixed."

".. ARGH."

Continuing on their way down the hall, butterflies flooded every inch of her stomach and her hands were slightly shaking as if she was on the verge of having a seizure. She could also feel the normally tan coloring of her face, drained and overtaken by a slight pale white. Great, not only was she going to be the new girl who was a "freak", but she was going to look like one too. That was exactly what she needed. Placing her hand at the top of her head, Kairi drew back the strands of her hair. This was going to be a long day. People would come up to her, asking all about where she was from and that type of stuff, even though half the time they wouldn't even give a rat's butt. They'd invite her to sit with them at lunch, offer to carry her things, tell her all about everyone, and then a week later, calling her dirty names, kick her from the table, and "accidentally" forget to save her spot in class.

Frowning, Kairi was starting to hate this school more by the second. She had been perfectly fine at her old school. She had tons of friends, she was one of the best players on her tennis team and runners on her track team, she had top grades, and was very well liked by everyone. But now .. she wasn't sure if that was all going to be the same. Besides, this school was different. This school was for people who were on their way up in the entertainment business. Specifically actors&actresses, dancers, photographers, models, some paparazzi wannabes, TV anchors, and top athletes. Some of the kids in this school were already getting small parts in movies or working the catwalk. Kairi .. she didn't even want to pursue a career in anything of the entertainment business, but it was her mother who'd urged her to become a model, like she had been in her early days.

"Here's the room!"

"Please don't make me go in!" begging in a whisper, Kairi tightly latched her fingers onto the bottom of her mother's shirt. Though she was acting immature and as if though she was a third grader, she absolutely was despising the thought of taking one step into that classroom. Upon peeking in it, an older man sat at the front of the room, reading out loud from a textbook. Students at their desks were quietly behaved as they kept their heads down, reading along as the words were voiced for them. For a few moments, Kairi studied those inside the classroom as she felt sorry for them. That was until there was a tap, tap upon the door. The teacher looked into the direction of her and her mother and the student's head immediately shot up and joined in staring.

"New student."

"Oh, oh yes! Come in, please!"

"Mom .."

"Have a nice day, Kairi." Unlatching her fingers from the bottom of the tee shirt, she looked towards her mother as the older reflection of herself, smiled back and then began to walk away. She watched in awe as the woman strutted away. She should have called loudly for her to come back, but the about the time she had just been about to, the teacher from inside, ushered her in again with his words.

"Don't be afraid, dear. Come inside the classroom!"

Hesitantly, Kairi slowly moved herself away from outside of the door and into the classroom. With every step she took, the echo of the heels of her black loafers was loudly made aware. Slowly at a pace she made her way to the desk in the front of the room. She was hoping that if she went slow enough, maybe by the time she reached the desk, the bell would ring and then she could go to the nurse, complaining she was sick. Looking at the class before her as she walked to the desk, she could notice everybody was watching her every move as if she might suddenly trip. A few blondes and a brunette in the back giggled as a couple of the guys in the left of the front, were whispering.

"Please, introduce yourself. I am Mr. Takahashi, but you may call me Mr. T," the older man laughed as if he had just made a very hilarious joke of some sort.

"A-ah, okay!" Turning to face the front of the classroom, she inhaled then exhaled a deep breath as she placed her hands behind her back. She was praying to God that she would not stutter, stumble, or get at loss for words as she'd introduce herself. But, she knew that was unavoidable. "I-I'm Kairi. I came from one of the High schools in the suburbs. U-um, I like to horseback riding and taking pictures and dancing and going to the movies and going to football games .. I don't really l-like math or science because I'm more of an artsy perso—"

"Thank you, Kairi! That was wonderful. Please take a seat next to Selphie over in the third row."

"Oh .. okay."

So far so good. Nobody was laughing and the girls from before, were no longer giggling. Sure, as she was moving to her seat next to "Selphie," she could feel them watching her like a hawk but who wasn't in the classroom? Once she took her seat, she heard a whisper come from her left.

"Hi! I'm Selphie!"

".. I'm Kairi," Kairi responded back in a whisper.

"I know." Selphie laughed until she was interrupted.

"Now, would anybody like to be kind and offer to help Kairi find her classes, sit with her at lunch, and other basic needs for the first week for her? As you all know, it can be nerve-wracking to one when you are a new student at a new school and do not know anyone."

She didn't want to see how many hands were in the air, because if it was few or none, she knew she'd feel like an idiot and her self esteem would be lowered for the rest of the day. Placing her hand above her forehead, she suddenly focused her vision onto the ground. The ground is nice. It's black. That's weird. At my old school, the floors were a nasty eggnog white cream color. These floors look more expensive. But I'm not surprised. This is a tough school to get into and Mom said that it's very expensive. That money must cover books and interior and whatnot.

"I will, I will!"

Kairi looked up and back to her left to find the same girl from before with her hand waving rapidly in the air. As Kairi raised one of her eyebrows, as she watched in amusement. The brunette had a wide grin painted upon her face and her eyes were shining with excitement. It was obvious .. Selphie was it? – was excited on the fact of being her "helper." She began to laugh somewhat but was surprised when no one else was. This must have been normal to everyone else as to the way she was overreacting as being chosen to help her on her way the first week at this school.

"Well, Selphie, since you're so enthu—"

"EEEEE! YAY!"

Kairi laughed some more.

"Alright class, if you'll please continue looking down in your book on page 666, we can continue the lesson on Edgar Allan Poe. Selphie, if you would, please share your book with Kairi. I'll be sure to pick up an extra copy after class so you have one of your own tomorrow, Kairi."

"Okay. Thank you."

" Now, in the beginning of the reading of 'The Black Cat,' the first few lines are, 'I'm not crazy. I swear I am not crazy. Do you think I am crazy?' You may also have noticed that in many of Mr. Poe's novels and stories that he begins with similar sentences referring to how he is not crazy. Psychologists believe that this behavior proves that –"

"You're going to love it here," Selphie whispered as she leaned over to Kairi's desk; resting the heavy text book of leather upon it. Kairi looked up at the girl to find her smiling at her. It was obvious Selphie wanted to make a friendship out of this week she'd have to spend with the girl. Laughing some more, she slightly nodded her head. At least Kairi knew now that there was someone less sane then her, here at this school.

The first day at her new school, Kairi had not been expecting to be involved in Physical Education the very first day. But, the Phy Ed. Teacher had excused her from doing their Tennis drills, as well as Selphie, so it hadn't been too terrible. As the rest of the girls in their gym class stood on the court, speedily banging the ball back and forth over the net, Selphie and Kairi sat in the bleachers not too far away, watching the boys in the other class, run laps.

"So what are people like here?"

"Eh. It depends. Some people are really down to earth – even some of the ones who are already starting to get big. You know, fame wise. – and nice. Those are the people you really want to befriend. Then, there are the other ones. The ones who are self absorbed and are as shallow as you can go. Even the ones who haven't gotten their beginning fame, are like this. Thankfully, they all hang out in hordes so the "nice" people like me don't have to bother with them. A good example of a self absorbed, spoiled, shallow, nerve pinching person would be Sora.

"Sora?"

"Yeah, Sora. You probably saw him in that one blockbuster movie last year where he played an orphan. He's also done a couple of commercials on TV for men's cologne. And, latest gossip is, is that he just landed an opposite role of the ever so dreamy Glay AND that over break he's going to be flying half way across the world to do a photo shoot advertising for Prada. A lot of the girls here at school have crushes on him. But that's not really surprising, yeah? I mean, not only is he on his rise to fame, but he's excellent at basketball and tennis, his family donates money to charity, he has a beautiful face, and he's ALWAYS single. But nonetheless, I hate him."

"Ha ha ha. Sounds like a prince charming, really. Despite the fact that he's stuck up and all that other goofy stuff. Of course, if there was a perfect guy, I'm sure he'd be already taken," laughing, Kairi slightly tilted her head as she messed with the pony tail held low in the back of her head.

As Selphie continued to rant on and gossip about the other stuck ups of the school, Kairi kept her eyes concentrated on the track as the boys continued to do laps. Some of them were lazy and now walking, but a few of the boys continued to go at a fast pace. But suddenly, out of nowhere, time immediately felt as if it had slowed down. She'd just been watching the boys continue to go around the track when one had caught her looking at him among the others. A couple of moments went by where their eyes were locked .. until he broke it with his smile. Taken back a little, Kairi suddenly put on a confused expression on her face. Why would someone smile at her? And it had to have been her because Selphie was in her own little world and no one else was on the bleachers. Slowly, Kairi raised her hand and waved for a second. The boy laughed in response at her wave and she had just about been ready to start laughing too when she heard ..

"Sora! Get over here! We need to review your game schedule!"

"Yes, sir!"

"… …" Slightly in awe, Kairi looked over at Selphie next to her to see if she had noticed, but non surprising, she was still in her own world, blabbering on. Turning back her head forwards, she began to laugh nervously. That was not real. Of course, she wasn't star struck or anything stupid like that! Of course not, no way .. Maybe it'd just been the fact that they'd just been talking about him when he happened to notice her. Kairi had been ready to interrupt Selphie and inform her of what had just happened, that was of course, before

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Getting up from the bleachers after the whistle of several coach's rang, she slowly started to follow Selphie down the steps. She shook her head in disbelief at the incident from moments before. This day was just too weird. Though she'd been flustered when the boy had smiled at her, she now knew it was his job to make people feel as if they were a hundred grand. Though he'd done that well with her, there was no way that if that was ever to happen again, she'd fall for it once more. What a selfish brat thinking to see if the new girl would get all "ooh and awe" over him.

"This school is just too out of it. I want to come back."

"You sissy. You've only been there for one day and you're already freaking out."

"But Riku! The girls here all look like models and the guys look like they just stepped out of some Abercrombie and Fitch ad! I'm too normal looking to blend in with the rest of these people!"

Kairi flopped over onto her bedspread as she heaved a heavy sigh. She could hear the boy on the other end of the phone mumbling to himself. Laughing at this, she shook her head. It was no surprise. Riku had always been like that ever since she'd first met him at the age of six. The two had practically grown up with each other. As younger kids, they went to the park across the street from their house on the weekends, and hung out at recess and lunch during grade school and middle school. They both knew they were inseparable and during middle school, people were always claiming how they made the perfect couple. But to Kairi, Riku was like a brotherly figure. So, of course, who looked at their brother in the couple relationship way and not felt disgusted? Kairi was definitely not one of those people.

"Whatever, Kairi. You were the prettiest girl at our school so I'm sure you are there."

"Thanks Riku, but you haven't seen the girls here."

"Just shut up. But listen, I have to go so I'll text you later tonight or I'll call you around ten or eleven. Advanced warning, sorry if I wake you up."

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead and play your stupid video games already," she paused to laugh. "Talk to you later. Love you."

"Yeah, well you can go play with your makeup. Talk to you later."

"Night."

Clicking the 'end' phone on the button, Kairi shortly afterwards tossed it onto the floor seconds later. Grabbing for the remote that lay only a few inches away, she clicked the 'on' button on and seconds later, voices emitted from the TV with an image to match. The girl then clapped her hands together and all light in her room shut off except for that of what shined from the TV screen and on the walls.

"On Entertainment Tonight! We talk with upcoming and rising actor, Sora. Is he lady free? How much money did he make last film? This actor is only fifteen and already he's beginning to experience the life of an A list actor."

The TV screen then flashed a clip of the interview to be fully shown later. The boy who was casually dressed in a polo and jeans, laughed and smiled at the woman who was interviewing him. Kairi, however, couldn't share the joy as the boy was expressing on TV. Thus, why she rolled her eyes.

"You know, looks don't matter in a girlfriend. As long as she's nice, caring, and gives to charity is all that matters to me. Oh. And that she has a personality."

"You may fool them, but I've heard all about you. And you Sora, are very terrible at convincing people."

And it was then that Kairi made a vow. As long as she went to this school, as long as she had the typical boy crushes, she would never, ever fall for somebody like that. Not somebody who was self absorbed, selfish, way too into himself, and was already beginning to get stalkerazzi. There was no way that'd ever happen. Not in a million years. .. But little did Kairi know as she sat in her room in the dark, watching Entertainment Tonight! on mute, that she would very much be a hypocrite to that vow later on.

Tohrue's Note: Voila.

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Tohrue.